Refrigerator car construction



June 10,1941". v E, WEST 2,245,024

REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B m n34 4G 52/ 21.

/ MVKY Inventor; VzczofE. West June 10, 1941.`

v. E. WEST REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jn. a; 1940zsheets-'sheet 2 Invent@ Victorwes' Hzlony #if Patenied -inne 1G, 1941REFBEGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Application January S, 1940, Serial No.312,831

(Cl. (i2- 17) 9 Claims.

li/ly invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transportperishable commodities at a predetermined temperature. The essentialfeatures of va refrigerator car are an insulated body to prevent orretard ingress of heat during Warm weather and egress of heat duringcold weather and a cooling means and a heating means to be used duringwarm and cold weather respectively. v

My invention applies particularly to cars i which the cooling means,preferably containers for water ice, eutectic ice, brine or dry ice, aredisposed immediately below the roof of the car. The lading is supportedin spaced relation to the floor by a foraminous rack. Flues, preferablyassociated with the side walls of the car, communicate between thecooling means and the space under the oor rack to provide a path for thecirculation of air. The path is from the cooling means downwardlythrough the aforementioned flues, through the space under the floorrack, upwardly through the lading compartrnent thereby cooling thelading, and finally to the cooling means from. where the cycle isrepeated.

My invention is particularly applicable to refrigerator cars of thehereinabove described overhead bunker type, having refrigerantcontainers which are wholly or partially imperforate so as to retain acertain amount of liquid Within the container. The invention pertainsparticularly to valves adapted to drain the liquid from the containerseither into the side wall ue or upon the drip pan, in which latter casethe liquid drains iinally into the side wall flue.

An object of the invention is to provide an operating means for theabove mentioned draining valves, which means is operable from within thelading compartment oi the car and may be operated without dismantlingany part of the ear.

Another object of the invention is to provide an operating means throughwhich water can not fall upon the lading. Any apparatus involving movingparts, such as a handle for operating a valve, is necessarily subject toleakage around the moving parts. I prevent such leakage by disposing themoving parts above the level of the liquid upon the drip pan.

A further object is to provide means for operating the draining valve soas not to interfere with the flow of air within the car whether such airflow is for the purpose of refrigerating, ventilating or heating thecar.

Another object of the invention is to provide draining valves andoperating means therefor so that the valves may be operated while theladin1T space of the car is lled. I provide such operating means Withinthe center duct so that a man may operate the valves upon climbing ontop of the load within the car.

Other objects and advantages oi my invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description by referring to the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial transverse section of a re- 'frigerator carembodying my invention and showing the valve in a closed position.

Fig. 2 is a View of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 butshowing the valve in open position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the upper part of the car shown inFig. 1 indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to a portion of Fig. 1 showing a modified typeof valve.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the valve shown in Fig. 4 with the bottom: ofthe refrigerant container omitted for clarication.

The general parts of the refrigerator car shown are insulated roof 2,side wall 3, iloor 4, hatch 5, refrigerant container 6, side wall fluel, forarninous floor rack 8 and space 9 between rack and noor Arefrigerant container 6 is positioned directly below the roof 2 andvadjacent the side wall 3. A drip pan I2 is provided below the container6 and a partition I4 is secured in an upstanding position at the edge ofthe drip pan I2. The drip pan I2 and partition it cooperate with theroof 2 and side wall 3 to form an enclosing structure II around thecontainer an air inlet opening I5 being provided by spacing thepartition Ill from the roof 2. An air discharge opening I'I which leadsto the flue 'l is formed by spacing the drip pan I2 from the wall 3.Cars of this type commonly have a row of refrigerant containers 6 neareach side wall 3 and spaced apart at the center of the car. Thepartitions I are also spaced apartto form a ruct IE which communicatesbet-Ween the lading compartment IS and openings I5.

Air circulation is as follows: Air in the lading compartment I8 iswarmed by contact with the lading and rises through the duct I6 to enterthe enclosing structures II through the air inlet openings I5, some ofsaid air flowing through the passage I9 between the container 6 and drippan I2. The air is cooled by Contact With the refrigerant containers 6and falls by reason of its greater density through the disch-argeopenings i1 and flues 1 to the space 9 whence it rises through the rack8 to the lading compartment I8.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1-3, the valve 25 comprises a spout26 secured to the bottom 28 of the container 6 and facing away from theside wall flue 1. An aperture 36 in the' bottom 28 of the container 6provides passage for the flow. of liquid from the container 6 throughthe spout 26 and upon the drip pan I2. The spout 26 is closed by aresilient plug 32, such as one made of soft rubber, arranged to moveaxially of the spout 26. The plug 32 is attached to the end of a rod 33,which rod is supported by the brackets 3d and arranged to slide axiallytherethrough. A bracket 3d is shown in Fig. 3, and preferably comprisesa guide piece 36 and a strap 38. The strap 38 is spaced from the guidepiece 36 to form an opening 33 in which the rod 33 may slide.' Cups I-Marranged axially of the rod and facing each other are secured, one 4I tothe rod, and the other 42 to the bracket 34. A helicalr springl M isinterposed therebetween to yieldingly hold the plug 32 in the spout 26.A cable 46 is secured to the opposite end 41 of the rod 33 and projectsthrough an aperture 49 in the partition I4. A handle I may be secured tothe cable 66 so that said cable may be pulled throughthe aperture 49 andthe plug 32 thereby drawn from the spout 26, thus opening the valve 25.The valve 25 is held in the open position by means of a forked bracket63 in which the cable 46 is inserted between the prongs' 5! of the forkand the handle 5I held by the fork away from the partition It. (See Fig.2.)

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the spout 66 faces towardthe side wall flue 1. A resilient plug 62'is supported by a cross member6a near the central part thereof and guide rods 66 are secured to thecross member 6d. The opposite ends 61 of theguide rods 66 are spanned bya connecting member 68. 'Ihe spout 66 is preferably a part of anintegrally formed member 16, such as a casting, which Aalso comprisesdepending guide pieces 12 disposed on either side of the spout 66 andwhich is secured to the bottom 28 of the container 6. The guide rods 66are adapted to slide axially through the guide pieces 12, therebyrestricting the resilient plug 62 to axial movement into and out of thespout 6I). Helical springs 14 are interposed between the connectingmember 63 and the guide pieces 12 to yieldingly hold the plugV 62 in thespout 66. An operating rod 15 is secured to the connecting member 68 andextends through an aperture 16 in the partition Ill. The rod may beguided by a bracket 16 similar to the bracket 34 described in referenceto Fig. 3. A handle 8i! is pivoted (8i from the partition I4 and tsthrough a slot 82 in the rod 15 so that swinging movement of the handle86 toward the partition M disengages the plug 62 from the spout 66.Apertures 813 may be provided in the handle 86, rod 15 and supportingbracket 35, which apertures align when the valve is open and may be heldin such alignment by the insertion of a pm.

It is pointed out that the cable 46 in Fig. 1 extends through theaperture 69 in partition I4 and the rod 15 in Fig. 4 extends through theaperture 16, which apertures are both disposed a substantial distanceabove the upper surface of the drip pan I2. The drip pan i2 has asubstantial slope toward the flue 1 so that liquid which overflows fromthe refrigerant container 6, or

condenses thereon and falls upon the drip pan I2, will flow into theside wall flue 1, and not through the apertures 49, 16. It is alsopointed out that the rods 33 in Fig. 1 and 16 in Fig. 4 are disposedsubstantially parallel with the direction of air flow through thepassage I3 between the container 6 and drip pan I2. The valve 25 and theoperating rod (33 or 15), therefore, present but a small obstacle to theflow of refrigerating air. This condition is clearly shown in Fig. 3wherein the valve and rod 33 encroach on only a relatively small part ofthe passage I9.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of theinvention, though it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as itis obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of theclaims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

The method of supporting the refrigerant containers disclosed herein isclaimed in co-pending application by Charles D. Bonsall, filed July 24,1939, Serial No. 286,138.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having a flue associated with a vertical wallthereof, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall,a drip pan spaced below said container to form a passage which conductsair to said flue and means forming a duct for upward ow of warm air ad-`iacent said container, means for draining liquid from said containerinto said passage comprising a spout depending from said container, aplug adapted to move axially of said spout into engage- I' menttherewith and means within said duct to impart axial movement to saidplug whereby said Valve may be operated from said duct.

2. In a refrigerator car having a flue associated with a vertical Wallthereof, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall,a drip pan spaced below said container to form a passage which conductsair to said flue and means forming a duct for upward flow of warm airadjacent said container, means for draining liquid from said containerintov said passage comprising a spout dependingA from said container andd irected in a substantially horizontal plane, a plug adapted to moveaxially of said spout into engage'- ment therewith, a spring arranged toyieldingly hold said plug engaged with said spout and means within saidduct to impart axial movement to said plug whereby said valve may beoperated from said duct.

3. In a refrigerator car having a flue associated with a vertical wallthereof, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall,a drip pan spaced below said container to form a passage which conductsair to said flue, a partition upstanding from said drip pan remote fromsaid wall and means forming a duct for upward flow of warm air adjacentsaid partition, means for draining liquid from said container into saidpassage comprisinga spout depending from said container and directed ina substantially horizontal plane, a plug adapted to move axially of saidspout into engagement therewith, a cable extending through saidpartition so that the outer end thereof is disposed in said duct andmeans to secure the inner end of said cable to said plug whereby saidvalve may be operated from said duct.

4. In a refrigerator car having a flue associated with a vertical wallthereof, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall,a drip pan spaced below said container toform a passage which conductsair to said flue, a partition upstanding from said drip pan remote fromsaid wall and means forming a duct for upward flow of warm air adjacentsaid partition, means for draining liquid from said container into saidpassage comprising a spout depending from said container and directed ina substantially horizontal plane, a plug adapted to move axially of saidspout into engagement therewith, a guide piece secured to saidcontainer, a rod associated with said plug and adapted to slide in saidguide piece, a cable extending through said partition so that the outerend thereof is disposed in said duct and means to secure the inner endof said cable to Said rod, whereby said valve may be operated from saidduct.

5. In a refrigerator car having a flue associated with a Vertical wallthereof, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall,a drip pan spaced below said container to form a passage which conductsair to said flue, a partition upstanding from said drip pan remote fromsaid wall and means forming a duct for upward flow of warm air adjacentsaid partition, means for draining liquid from said container into saidpassage comprising a spout depending from said container and directed ina substantially horizontal plane, a plug adapted to move axially of saidspout into engagement therewith, a guide piece secured to saidcontainer, a rod associated with said plug and adapted to slide in saidguide piece and means within said duct to impart axial movement to saidrod whereby said valve may be operated from said duct.

6. In a refrigerator car having a flue associated with a vertical wallthereof, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall,a drip pan spaced below said container to form a passage which conductsair to said iiue, a partition upstanding from said drip pan remote fromsaid wall and means forming a duct for upward iiow of warm air adjacentsaid partition, means for draining liquid from said container into saidpassage comprising a spout depending from said container and directed ina substantially horizontal plane, a plug adapted to move axially of saidspout into engagement therewith, a guide piece secured to saidcontainer, a rod associated with said plug and adapted to slide in saidguide piece, a spring interposed between said plug and said guide pieceto yieldingly hold said plug engaged with said spout, means within saidduct to impart axial movement to said plug and means to hold said plugdisengaged from said. spout.

7. In combination with a wall and roof of a refrigerator car, arefrigerant container below the roof near the wall, an enclosure forsaid container, a duct adjacent said enclosure for directing warm airinto the upper part of the enclosure, a Valve associated with the lowerpart of the container for draining liquid therefrom, said valve arrangedto be opened and closed upon a substantially linear movement of a plug,and means operable from said duct for imparting such movement to saidplug.

8'. In combination with a wall and roof of a refrigerator car, arefrigerant container below the roof near the wall, an enclosure forsaid container, a duct adjacent said enclosure for directing warm airinto the up-per part of the enclosure, a Valve associated with the lowerpart of the container for draining liquid therefrom, said Valvecomprising a spout associated with the lower part of said container, anda plug adapted to move substantially linearly into and out of engagementwith said spout, and means operable from said duct for moving said plug.

9. In a refrigerator car having a flue associated with a vertical wallthereof, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall,a drip pan spaced below said container to form a passage which conductsair to saidv iiue and means forming a, duct for upward iiow of warm airadjacent said container, means for draining liquid from said containerinto said passage comprising a spout associated with said container fordraining liquid therefrom, a plug adapted to move axially of said spoutinto engagement therewith, and means operable from said duct forengaging and disengaging said plug from said spout.

VICTOR E. WEST.

